Women's Pay Gap

Improved Essays
Prior to 1920, most women stayed home and very few held paying jobs, however the United States was eventually pushed into World War I in 1917 leading a new change for women. War time sparked a colossal economic growth creating a demand for weapons, clothes, and military supplies. With many men going off to serve in the military and leaving their previous jobs, women stepped into factory positions to support the war effort. However, according to The Twenties in America Women in the Work Force, “the increased presence of women in the workforce had a limited impact on gender inequality.” Women today have continued to face what is now often referred to as the ‘wage gap’, a difference in pay women face estimated to be around 77 cents for each dollar …show more content…
Identifying what the individual causes are for the wage gap can be difficult as it does very state to state. Most studies agree that some of the contributing factors are career choice, not working full time, maternity leave, and discrimination. Women have made great progress since the 1920s but they still have a way to go. The gap needs to be closed, and all workers need to be paid fairly. Money needs to be donated to the American Association of University Women and the National Women’s Law Center because without the proper funding, women will continue to be pushed away from careers in science, technology, engineering, and math, women will have to work later into their life to earn as much as a male does, and women will not be able to legally pass legislation to make it illegal to pay women less without support and …show more content…
Right now, women’s progress towards pay equality has plateaued, and nonprofit organizations have stepped in to helped eliminate the wage gap. One of these organizations is the American Association of University Women (AAUW). Founded in 1881, AAUW has advocated for policies which support women, provided scholarships, research gender equality issues, and much more. They also work to close the wage gap by facilitating salary negotiating workshops and encouraging girls in STEM fields. (What we do…) This organization requires significant funding in order to continue supporting the next generation. They provide more than 3.7 million dollars in scholarships for the 2016-2017 school year, in addition to the other costs they incur. In 2013 AAUW campaigned for wage equality and was able to persuade president Obama to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act which helps people file for questions regarding their wage and protects all groups against wage discrimination. (AAUW report) The American Association of University Women proves to be a reputable organization with Guide Star Exchange Gold status along with a 2015 Top Rated Nonprofit certificate. Donations to AAUW will go to serve all women in the fight to close the wage

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